It has been well recognized that bathing provides a refreshing and relaxing experience, as well as cleansing of a human body and treatment thereof. Various types of bathing products, devices and methods of utilizing tools and therapeutic substances for bathing are known, such as those using a bathtub, a whirlpool bath or Jacuzzi, and other bathing devices. Many bath products are currently available to enhance the bathing experience. For example, bathing salts may be added to the bath water to add a pleasant aroma or to soften the bath water. There are also numerous scented oils and soaps available for use while bathing. Taking a steaming bath is also known for physiological and psychological benefits such as lowering blood pressure, relaxing muscles, relieving aches and pains and calming the mind. Bathing also cleans the outer layer of the skin by removing surface dirt, oils, and the like.
Foot therapy and foot bathing methods are also known in connection with personal therapeutic use, for foot care, and commercial pedicure procedures, for example. Some of such known devices are capable of producing heat to the water for enhancing blood circulation, and also water jet stream, air bubbles, and vibration in the water for facilitating massage and sensations to the body and/or feet of the bather.
Bathtubs and foot bath devices capable of producing water jet (and optionally air bubbles or stream in addition to the water jet) or whirlpool functions typically have a series of, or one or multiple circulation pipe circuits connected to the bathtub for providing water turbulence to the bathing water. After using the bathtubs, used or treated water needs to be drained as completely as possible and the tubs and bath system are to be cleaned and sanitized before next using. However, the used water as well as other impurity substances stored in the water system and pipes, for example, such as particles, dirt, loosed or removed skin, scum, nail particles and debris, oily substances such as body grease, and other materials, are very hard to be completely removed from the water system and circulation pipes. Such impure substances in the water deposit and continue to build up in the pipes of the whirlpool system and passage sections of the water pump, etc. The used water and impure substances remaining in the bath system and pipes decay as time passes and cause serious harmful, unsanitary and toxicity concerns, typically producing unpleasant odor, germs, bacteria, or other harmful substances to the human. Accordingly, cleaning, sanitization, and deodorizing of the water and bathing system, including the water circulation system, becomes a very important concern, which is particularly more important in commercial operations such as spas and pedicure operations because the bathing devices in the commercial operations are used repeatedly to multiple people with different body and skin conditions.
Among various bathing methods known, bathing in the water containing substances such as a fluffy gel or jelly-like material has been suggested recently. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,177 to Moriyama discloses a bath jelly product for creating a gelatinous mixture in a bathtub for bathing a human body in the gelatinous mixture. A component containing sodium polyacrylate and other substances are added to hot water to produce a gelatinous mixture for promoting a luxurious and relaxing bathing experience to a bather as well as allowing deep cleansing of skin pores with the component. According to this reference, a second component comprising pure sodium chloride or other salts is suggested to be added to the gelatinous mixture in order to dissolve the mixture and thus for allowing the contents of the tub to be easily drained from the tub typically through a vertical drain pipe disposed at the bottom of the bathtub (as shown in FIG. 6 of the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,177).
The methods suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,177 relate to bathing of an entire human body in a fluffy jelly-like mixture. This disclosure, however, does not provide any suitable bathing methods and bathing compositions especially useful for foot bathing, more in particular, that are to be used in a whirlpool tub environment having water circulation pipes connected to the bathtub. To the contrary, U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,177 in fact teaches away from utilizing a bath apparatus having such a whirlpool function (see column 4, lines 43-46).
As discussed above, sanitization and cleaning of the used water and impure substances in the bath system and circulation pipes, including water-jet tubes and various valves thereof, is a very important concern to be carefully considered and handled, particularly, in such bathtubs with whirlpool functions.
In addition, it is known in the art that chemical cleaning or detergent agents are typically used for cleaning and sanitization of the bathtubs and bathing systems after the bath is used and before a next use of the bath system. One generally accepted procedure for cleaning the bath system, particularly for those having a whirlpool bathing function, comprises: (i) used water is drained from the bath system after the bath, (ii) the bathtub is filled with clean water, (iii) suitable chemical detergent is added in the water, (iv) the whirlpool system is operated for a substantially long period of time for cleaning the system, and (v) the cleaned water with detergent is drained off. This cleaning procedure is repeated frequently, preferably after each bathing operation. Accordingly, this procedure requires the use of excessive water for the cleaning along with a substantial time and electrical energy consumption for the cleaning operations, in addition to the normal bathing operations.